Conveyer for heating furnaces



Nov. 27, 1928. 1,693,568

D. L. SUMMEY CONVEYBR FOR HEATING FURNACES Original Filed July 28, 1923 INVEIVTOR Arman/5r Nov. 27, li h fi.

tenses clerics,

nniran'srares DAVID L. SUMILTEY, OF VJA'IERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

, converse FOR HEATING summons.

Original application filed July 28, 1923, Serial No. 854,295 "Divided and this application filed March 26, f Serial No. 178,650.

This inventioirrelates to conveyors and particularly to conveyors for heating furnaces This application is adivision from an application filer. July 28, 1923, Serial l lo.pt,295. It is an object of the invention to provide an endless conveyor havingan etfectivelink connection for use under conditions in which ordinary lubrication is impossible. It is a further object of the invention to provide a conveyor such that the danger of broken parts dropping'out is avoided. f l

lVith these general objects, andothers,in view, the invention consists in the features, combinations, details of constri :tion, and arrangementsof parts which will'first be described in connection with the accompanying draiving and then more particularly pointed out. v 1 In the draWing- 1 Figure 1 is'a diagrammatic view illustrat i"g,in section, part of a heating furnace hav- {1 aconveyer emboc ying the invention; 7 Figure 2 is a sectional view through a link connection;

Figure 3 is a View in end elevation of two adjacent links, with parts broken away and in section; and,

Figure isa view in side elevation of a connecting shackle removed.

Referring to the drawing, 11 indicates a fu "nace chamber. Within this chamber is an endless conveyor chain, the individual links in the embodiment illustrated being buckets 12 for conveying small articles. These buckets, connected as later described, have fiatbottoms which ride on supporting rails 18. At each end of the furnace the chain passes over a hexagon-shaped pulley 14, one

. of these pulleys being shown in Fig. 1. Either of the pulleys may be rotated in any suitable manner to drive the chain. Above the top face of pulley 1 1 is a feeding chute 15, by means of which the articles to be heat treated may be delivered to the passing buckets. The heated articles may be received at the far end of the furnace in any suitable manner, for example, b y the quenching tank shown and described in the parent application referred to.

bThe furnace chamber may be heated in any suitable manner, for example, by electric resistance units indicated at 16. Such heating units are more fully described and shown in the parent application referred to.

' To connect the chain links, e. g. the buckets 12, in the embodiment here illustrated as an example, each bucket has on one side a pairof perforated lugs 20 and on the other side a pair of perforated yokes, i. e. double lugs, 21. When the buckets are assembled side by side in chain position, the yokes 21 of one bucket straddle the 20 of the adjacent bucket (Fig. 2) with the respective perforations in alinement. A pivotal connection is made by a cylindrical pin 22 which passes through the alined perforations of each set. These pins are made of a metal having wearing qualities and capable of withstanding continued high temperatures. For this purpose nickel-chromium alloy has been found suitable. In the present embodiment the buckets 12, as well as the pins 22, alloy. i

lVith the construction described the links, e. g. the buckets 12, are effectively connected into endless chain form in a simple manner. The chain as a whole is capable of withstanding continued high temperatures, and continued operation without undue wear in its pivots, and no lubrication is necessary.

There is provided means for preventing the are made of nickel-chromium pivot pins or broken pieces thereof from dropping out. As here shown as an example, straddling each assembled yoke and lug, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2, is a shackle 23/ One end or arm of this shackle, the left end inFigs. 2 and 4:, has a bore 24c therethrough which alines with the perforations of lug 20 and yoke 21 and is of a like diameter. The other end of the shackle, the right end, in Figs. 2 and i, has arecess 25 for receiving the end of the pivot pin. Opening out of recess 25 is a bore 26 of smaller diameter which forms with the recess a shoulder 27. To assemble the parts, the pin 22, which is of a length to extend beyond the yoke at each end, is inserted through bore 24 and pushed home into recess 25 until its far end engages shoulder 27. In this position the pin has its ends journaled in the shackle.

End *ise movement of the pin 22 in one direction is prevented by its engagement with shoulder 2?. To prevent endwise movement in the other direction blocking means for bore 2 1 is provided. As hereshown as an ex ample, the shackle has a transverse boss 29 which is drilled with two holes (shown in Fig. 4) at right angles to the axis of the bore 24,: and so located that each hole grooves the wall of the bore. After the pin 22 is assembled, a cylindrical plug 30 of pin diameter is inserted in the open end of the bore 24:. This plug is grooved to form, in connection with the grooves in the Wall of bore 24, passageways for two locking pins 31. These locking pins are inserted through the holes formed in boss 29 and lock plug 30 in place.

\Vith the construction described, the pivot pin 22 cannot drop out as its GIlClWlSO movement in either direction is prevented, nor can pieces of the pin drop out in case the pin.

'links, overlapping perforated lugs on adjacent links, pivot pins passing through said perforations to connect the links into the form of an endless conveyer chain, shackles straddling the overlapping lugs and in Which the ends of the pins are journaled, the shack les having means for preventing endvvise movement of the pivot pins.

2. In combination, a plurality of conveyer links, overlapping perforated lugs on adjacent links located in close proximity one to the other, pivot pins passing through said perforations to connect the links into the form of an endless conveyer chain, shackles straddling the overlapping lugs and in which the ends of the pins are journaled, said shackles being of a length to have the ends thereof in close proximity to the overlapping lugs, the shackles having means for preventing endwise movement of the pivot pins.

3. In combination, a plurality of conveyer buckets, overlapping perforated lugs on adjacent buckets, pivot pins passing through said lugs to connect the buckets in the form of an endless chain, shackles straddling said overlapping lugs and having openings for receiving the ends of said pins, one of said openings in a shackle being of a sizeto pass the pin, and means for blocking said opening after assembly of a shackle and pin.

In combination, a plurality of conveyer buckets, overlapping perforated lugs on adjacent buckets, pivot pins passingthrough said lugs to connect the buckets in the form of an endless chain, shackles straddling said overlapping lugs and having openings for receiving the ends of said pins, one of said openings in a shackle being of a size to pass the pin, a plug for blocking said opening after assembly of the shackle and pin, and means for locking the plug in place.

5. In combination, a plurality of conveyor buckets, overlapping perforated lugs on adjacentbuckets, pivot pins passing through said lugs to connect the buckets in the form of an endless chain, shackles straddling said overlapping lugs and having openings for receiving the ends of said pins, one of said openings in a shackle being of a size to pass the pin, the other opening being reduced in size beyond the pin to prevent passage of the pin but to give access thereto, and means for blocking the first'nam'ed opening after assembly of shackle and pin.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

DAVID L. SUMMEY. 

